It's hard to understand how war and humor can go together. But the whole premise of this film is that human beings can manage to laugh in even the bitterest experiences. In fact, it's sometimes the irony of life that brings laughter through the tears as sarcasm. Sweet sarcasm is the core of this movie and Danny Kaye is the only one who could deliver it with such pathos and perfection. Amid hatred and discrimination, stupidity and war there is cleverness and cutting truth delivered through irony. Outstanding writing and casting make this a gem. The only flaw in the diamond is that it gets slow sometimes and can feel like a late 50's movie masquerading in a 40's war movie coat. Making the movie in color would have been too jarring to the concept of an "old" war movie. But it is also noticed in it's absence. This is a great movie in a dull package but sharp minds will watch and heed its pointed humor and laugh through their tears.

I must say, Danny Kaye delivers a very skilful and thoughtful performance as Jacobowsky, and Curt Jurgens is hilarious in his over-the-top display of pompous honor as the military Colonel. In the dangerous and harrowing era of the war it's surprising that any degree of humor could be found in stark situations, but this story does so, and does it well. At times it's downright funny, other times it's delightfully witty, turning life's awkward moments into amusing vignettes. Yet shining throughout is the quality of Kaye's sympathetic character who draws on the inherited wisdom of his people to help him meet one difficulty after another. An excellent story indeed. Thank goodness human nature can still find humor even in life's most dire moments.

This film was a wonderful vehicle for the talents of Danny Kaye who played a serious, dramatic role instead of the typical zany comedic parts he usually performed. Franz Werfel,a Jew who had to flee Nazi Germany, wrote the drama on which this film is based and used much humor(especially in the relationship between Jakobowsky and the Colonel) to take on a serious subject: anti-semitism in Europe during World War II.In order to do this, he had to create stereotypes, which is common in comedy. A similar stereotyping is done in Mussorgsky's piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the part called "Samuel Goldenberg and Schmyl." However, instead of satirizing two Jews, Werfel was making fun of the differences between an anti-semitic Polish aristocrat and a bourgeois Jewish Pole who has the gift of being a survivor. Perhaps, because of this, the reception of the film has been cool. It has never been released on laser disc or DVD in the U.S. and is seldom seen on television. However, it is available in Germany on DVD in anamorphic 16x9 format, PAL Region 2 encoding.

Not your typical Danny Kaye movie, this brooding character study walks a tightrope among three genres and succeeds in being movie without being cloying. Curt Jurgens is marvelous as the Colonel. And, Danny Kaye gives one of his most distinctive performances. Well worth seeing.